The Sun Chamber

The Sun ChamberFirst appearance: "Introduction to Finality" — Owned by: The Greendale A/C school — Used by: Troy and MurrayPurpose: to be a place where two men enter and one man leaves— Made by: Unknown

Well, boys and girls, I hope you brought your popsicles because it's about to get SCALDING HOT IN THE SUN CHAMBER! You already know the rules..BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY!!!

As described by Vice Dean Laybourne to Troy, The Sun Chamber represents a shameful relic from a savage chapter in A/C repair history. Two men would enter the chamber for a duel to prove who the better repairman was. The chamber itself is divided into two separate rooms, each installed with a broken air conditioner. The temperature of the chamber steadily increases, and in order to survive, both contestants must quickly fix their broken units or succumb to heat exhaustion or worse. It was first introduced in the Season Three finale "Introduction to Finality".

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Vice Dean Robert Laybourne finally manages to get Troy enrolled in the A/C Repair School, but notices how unenthusiastic he is about it. He interrupted one of Troy's classes and showed him a special area of the school where there were historical artifacts from A/C repair history. Among those items prominently displayed was The Sun Chamber. Laybourne briefly mentioned the chamber's notorious place in A/C repair history, noting that such brutal methods of competition were thankfully a thing of the past. He then told Troy about a prophecy written in the sacred texts in the A/C Repair Manual. It is said that "The Truest Repairman" will arrive and fix not only air conditioners but the men who fix air conditioners. Troy refused to believe it, but Laybourne insisted it was Troy's destiny.

The Truest Repairman.

Murray then arrived to tell the vice dean about an urgent flow duct rupture that required his expertise. Not long afterwards, Troy learned that Laybourne has died due to a freon leak that occurred during the repair. Troy found Murray to question him about what happened. He found it hard to believe a seasoned air conditioning repair veteran like Laybourne would make a deadly mistake. Troy became suspicious when he learned Murray was now in control of the A/C repair school and soon to take over as Vice Dean. In response Murray released Troy from his commitment to the school and ordered him to leave immediately. Troy was about to depart when a sudden blast of cold air and a portrait of Laybourne inspired him to find out the truth.

WELCOME TO THE SUN CHAMBER!!!

Troy interrupted Murray's coronation as the head of the A/C school and declared his status as "The Truest Repairman". He then challenged Murray to compete inside the Sun Chamber. The entire school gathered to witness the competition as a colorful introduction to the event is made by Dennis. He is then replaced by another A/C student named Russo who explained the rules. The competitors will be locked inside two separate rooms housed within the chamber. Broken air conditioning units are located inside the separate rooms in which they must try to fix the broken A/C units as the temperature of the Sun Chamber increases. When competition starts and Murray races to repair his A/C unit before the heat becomes unbearable.

Two men enter...ONE MAN LEAVES!

Troy was in less of a hurry and instead intently stared at Murray. After a few minutes, Troy calmly and quickly fixes his broken AC unit. Murray became frustrated not only the heat but also the ease with which Troy finished his repairs. In a panic, he threatened Troy and accidentally blurted out a confession. In full view of the A/C student body in attendance, he admitted he caused the death of Robert Laybourne. Troy and the audience watch as Murray starts to succumb to heat exhaustion. Although Troy is satisfied he accomplished his goal, he was shaken when he looks out at the audience and sees them cheering on Murray's suffering.

Murray is about to lose.

He then noticed what appeared to be an apparition of Vice Dean Laybourne in the background. Upon seeing the ghost smiling back at him, Troy decides to have mercy on Murray. Acting fast, he breaks through the partition separating the two rooms and fixes the other A/C unit. The temperature of the room quickly dropped saving Murray. Afterwards, the other students remove Murray from the chamber and demand that he be put inside the "Infinite Labyrinth of Eternal Ice". Troy admonished them for being weird and told them to just take Murray to the police since he just confessed to murder ("Introduction to Finality").

The Sun Chamber is a cage split into two rooms, each with an entrance that is locked from the outside. The separate compartments house their own broken air conditioner unit. The contestants must fix it quickly – not just to win, but to survive as the temperature inside the chamber steadily increases. Borosilicate glass is possibly used to withstand the intense heat and provide a clear view of the competitors within the chamber. A display is visible both inside the chamber and outside of it, so that the audience and the competitors are aware of how much the temperature has risen. Although the chamber is touted as being brutal, there is a safety feature installed: a button is placed inside each room for the competitors to press if they decide to give up.

The Sun Chamber is a parody of The Thunderdome from the movie "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" the third film in the Mad Max franchise. In the movie, the protagonist Mad Max is forced to compete in a brutal deathmatch inside a large steel cage against a giant known as Blaster for control of Bartertown. Dennis the announcer is also a reference to the movie as he is similar in tone to the character who announced at the Thunderdome.

The Thunderdome.

When Troy fixed both air conditioners during his faceoff with Murray, the temperature on both sides was steadily decreasing, saving Murray. In reality, because the hot air exhaust output of each air conditioner is pointed into the competitor's compartment, if both air conditioners were working, the temperatures would simply increase in both compartments.

The name itself is an allusion to the English court of law nicknamed the Star Chamber where secret trials of prominent figures were held during the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties.